Referral Process to an Outside Agency
For Mental/Behavioral Health
When a staff person or family member has a concern regarding a student or family throughout the implementation of the Lancaster Head Start’s Response to Intervention (i.e. Social and Emotional Pyramid Model Procedures, Family Assessment, DECA, ESI, etc), it may be necessary to acquire additional services from an outside agency. Referring to an outside agency will further support the mental/behavioral needs of the child and family.
Mental/Behavioral health is a complex issue and thus referrals must be considered on an individual basis. Referrals may be made at any time within:
· The Lancaster Head Start Social Emotional Development and Program Wide Positive Intervention and Support Procedures (PW-PBIS) with parent’s permission and agreed upon participation.
· The Family Assessment & Goal Setting with parents’ permission and agreed upon participation
· The Parent’s or primary caregivers request for assistance.
Who can make a referral?
· Teacher
· Family Advocate
· ECBS
· Regional Manager
· Parent
If Head Start staff member(s) are assisting or initiating a referral:
A. Determine with the primary caregiver(s) which agency best meets the needs of the child and or family concerns. Staff may also consult with Head Start’s Mental Health Consultants, ECBDS, ECBS and or RM. Staff may also request a meeting with staff directly involved with the child to help access child’s needs, determine agency, and level of support needed, (i.e. outpatient, BHRS services, psychological evaluation, family based services, autistic support, etc). (See Lancaster Head Start Mental/Behavioral Health Referral Notebook for provider services, definition of services and acronyms).
*Note: Prior to meeting with the primary caregiver(s), it is advised that staff may want to check with ECBS, ECBDS and or directly with the Mental Health Agencies to see if the program is accepting new clients and whether or not they are operating from a wait list and for what service).
B. Staff should inform the primary caregiver(s) that to complete the referral they will need to provide the following:
· Child’s social security number
· Child’s insurance numbers and information
· In cases of custody issues, agencies will make an effort to contact all legal guardians. If the primary caregiver you are meeting with knows where biological parent/parents are, they must provide address and phone number. If the non-participating biological parent/parents do not return or get involved in the process, the child will still receive services. The agencies are legally bound to attempt to reach all legal guardians of services being offered to the child and family. If they do not know the address or phone number of parent/parents, the primary caregiver who is seeking services can just provide name and report that they do not know the contact information of the biological parent/parents.
· All pertinent information as guided by the agency’s forms as related to why the child/family are being referred. You many include other documentation that you have that would provide beneficial information to the referring agency in determining appropriate services for the child and family. (i.e. BIR information, ESI, DECA, goal sheets, etc.).
C. Once the agency and the service that is to be provided has been determined the Head Start Staff member assisting with the referral will gather appropriate referral paperwork and release(s) of information to complete with the primary caregiver(s). These items can be found in the Lancaster Head Start Mental/Behavioral Health Notebook.
*Note: Two Releases of Information must be obtained, one for Lancaster Head Start and the second one for the agency the child/family is being referred too. In obtaining both forms of Releases of information will allow for a smoother process in obtaining services.
a. Once all necessary information is gathered and forms are completed the information may then be faxed to the agency that has been designated. An email may also be requested and/or forwarded to the attention of the designated personnel at the agency that it has been sent.
b. Once all necessary paperwork has been faxed or given to the agency, a copy of all documents should be kept in the child’s education folder.
The dated cover sheet used to fax the information and or date delivered to the referring agency should also be kept with paperwork provided and entered into COPA.
D. Documentation of meetings and referrals must be entered into COPA
a. Meetings between staff and primary caregiver(s) will be noted under child case notes, which can be entered by the staff member initiating meeting.
b. *NOTE: All Mental/Behavioral Health Referrals must be entered under the Referral tab and Mental Health Tab in COPA by the ECBS designated at your center/classroom. All follow up information received from staff and or primary caregivers concerning the Mental/Behavioral referrals must be communicated between primary caregiver(s), staff and ECBS. This assures that services are being followed up on and that information is being maintained in COPA, (i.e. incomplete, in process, receiving services, etc.).
c. Once all necessary paperwork has been faxed or given to the agency, a copy of all documents should be kept in the child’s education folder.
The dated cover sheet used to fax the information and or date delivered to the referring agency should also be kept with paperwork provided and entered into COPA.
i. A copy of the Head Start Release of Information should be sent to the Early Childhood Behavior and Disability Supervisor.
ii. FA and ECBS’s may also want to make a copy of pertinent information to keep with their file if they are assisting with the client as part of their caseload.
E. What happens after referral is made?
*NOTE: See Time Line of Mental/Behavioral Health Services in referral notebook to assure that primary caregiver(s) and Mental Health Providers are adhering to the designated time frame so that adequate services may be provided to the child and family in a timely manner, thus avoiding cases being closed, or child having to be re-evaluated. Families have 60 days from the time a child has a psychological evaluation to accept and or appeal recommended services, attend an ISPT meeting, choose an agency provider that has been approved by Perform Care and accepts the families insurance.